Being Home
by gemsofformenos
Summary: The Palace doesn't feel like home for Azula, it probably never has. But this fact changed as Sokka became a regular guest as ambassador. But as more Azula started to feel home as more she noticed, that their friendship put Sokka's relationship at stake, so she retreated herself again. Now Sokka is gone and the Palace depresses her even more.


**Hello everybody. This little story is written for PurplePlatypusBear21 as a welcome gift. A home is where your heart lies. May you feel at home from the first day on! I wish you and everyone else a lot of fun with this little one-shot.**

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**Being Home**

The Palace wasn't her home anymore. If Azula took an closer look on the case, it had never been a real home for her. A home meant safety and comfort. A home meant to have a place, where you could relax, where you don't have to watch your back and where you didn't need to keep up protecting walls around you. A home meant to be allowed being yourself and being loved for it.

No, the Palace had never been a home for her, even back at the days, when she wasn't fallen from grace. Mother had only picked out her faults every time and had punished her with distance and coldness every time she wasn't the perfect daughter in her eyes. She had to watch her steps carefully to avoid trouble.

And Father had always demand strength and tension. Azula had to be the perfect, because of herself and of her brother, to cover his back, to make up for everything he did wrong in fathers eyes. But he never did the same for her with mother. He was always her child and every time Azula was strong for him to please father and distract him from his anger about Zuko, she had hoped he would do the same for her with mother, but he never did. They could have been a perfect team.

And so both siblings have learned to have no home together and this lesson was still working. It has worked as she finally had tried to kill her brother trice during war, it has worked as he had send her to an miserable asylum after her breakdown and it worked now as he finally couldn't avoid her return to the Palace anymore, because she had made enough progress on her own to get released out of the misery.

Azula had hoped for a slight moment, that she wouldn't be the only one, who had seen her own mistakes. She had hoped, that Zuko would have made progress too, but she didn't returned home. She returned to a place, where she had to put up guards again, where she had to bite her tongue and had to watch every step again. She had to be strong again to cover Zuko's back, to keep him out of the line of fire at court or council for his decision to give her a place to live, only to fear that one wrong word could send her back to this miserable place. Sometimes she felt, that it might be the best for all of them.

But it changed when this stupid Water Tribe peasant became a permanent guest at the Palace as an official ambassador. Azula was annoyed of him all the day. His stupid grin, he always put up, when they met. His ridiculous jokes, which weren't funny, his habit to fraternize with the staff and to disturb the routines at the palace. But this peasant dared to question Zuko at council for bad choices. He dared to speak up against the old elites and didn't hesitate to offend them, if he felt it would be necessary. He mentioned aspects, which were burning on Azula's tongue, but which she didn't dared to bring up and he had no problem with using disgusting jokes or minor threats to line out his point of view, but in his case Zuko seemed to welcome his humor.

And so Azula dared to talk more with this peasant, about the Nation, about foreign affairs, about economy and consultants, about the nobles and events and to her surprise the peasant listened. In fact Sokka listened very carefully and she noticed, that his annoying behavior was a good sign, because it was the same way he acted with everyone around here. It was no extra treatment for her. Azula noticed, that Sokka seemed to be the only one, who didn't walk on eggshells, when she was around.

And he considered her opinions. He started to adapt her strategies to approach the great influence of the nobles on court and council, mixing them with his own strange style of humor. He took of sharp edges of it, but sometimes he proved to be even more mischievous and sneaky than she was.

The way he had assured the support of the councilman Kuruzon was the most ridiculous and most astonishing thing Azula had ever seen. Zuko needed his support to set up a program for the veterans of the war, but the man had refused to give his approval. Azula remembered how she had talked with Sokka about it and how he had carefully asked her about information about his character. She had mentioned, that he was a man, who let his pride blind him sometimes, but also a man, who enjoyed the privileges his life hold up and that he couldn't resists gambling. Sokka had formed his own plan to convince the man and had dared to challenge him to an meat eating contest at council. The old halls had never seen so many baffled faces before, but his plan worked, Kuruzon accepted and Sokka's black hole did the rest. He stayed away from Hippo Cow Steak for half an year, but the program got founded thanks to his strange but working idea.

But Azula's luck didn't last long. As more she searched for this new, but pleasant change in her life, as more time she spend with Sokka, as more it seemed to separate him from Suki. She eavesdropped quarrels late at night between the two more than once. None of them had done anything wrong and Sokka defended her, but she couldn't take it. It brought up her guards again, she had dared to lower a bit. It was only another prove, that this wasn't her home, that she couldn't act carefree around here. Azula stopped to meet Sokka and stayed alone again, but she missed his annoying presence and his silly jokes and stupid grins and this damn blue piercing eyes. But as she finally started to consider to talk with him again, he was suddenly gone. He had left the Palace and hadn't lost a word to anyone.

Something broke in Azula at this day and the Palace had never felt so cold and lonely before. It took her days to get behind Sokka's reason to leave everything behind in the middle of the night. It was the sight of Suki and TyLee holding hands in the gardens at a pond after duty to realize, that her regular meetings with Sokka had crushed his relationship in the end. It added heavy guilt on her heart and so she refused to leave her rooms from this day on. With a bit of luck her behavior would convince Zuko to send her back to the asylum, so that she wouldn't hurt anyone anymore.

And now it seemed that this day was finally there. Someone was gently knocking at her door and it couldn't be some of the servants due to the time of the day. They were probably here to remove the danger from the Palace, finally. Azula refused to react at the knocking. They would probably enter her room anyway and she was right. It was somehow ironic, that it was Suki and TyLee, who entered her room. It was fitting, that these two girls would begin the final act of the tragedy she has brought to herself. But it was strange, that both didn't wear their uniforms. And it was even stranger, that they took seat beside her on her bed. They looked worried and sad.

"We need to talk, Azula."

The Princess tried to stay focused on the ground before her bed. She wouldn't show resistance, when they would inform her about her departure, but she would also refuse to talk about. Suki sighed and Azula winced, as she felt the warriors hand on her shoulder. Suki looked ashamed.

"I… need to say sorry to you, Azula."

Azula's jolted up and faced the warrior with a confused look. Suki's face reddened in shame, but she shared a short look with TyLee, who gave her an uplifting nod.

"I… It was unfair how I have talked about you, Azula. You… You did nothing wrong, but I got jealous and… It was wrong and stupid, but due to your position you have spend much more time with Sokka than I could and this has made me so angry and so I lashed out at him…"

Azula bit her tongue again. She was used to bite her tongue here, so she only released a little sarcastic huff. At least it let the sadness in Suki's face grow. The firebender felt TyLee taking her hand.

"It wasn't your fault, Azula, that's what Suki tries to tell you. You have done nothing wrong, neither Sokka. It has happened, but..."

"Tell this Sokka. I don't care, but he does, I'm sure."

Her answer was harsh and the acrobat winced back from her. Azula cursed herself for not holding back in this moment. She should have known better, but at least it would bring Sokka some consolation.

"And he said, I know, but tell this Azula. She's the one, who isn't allowed to feel welcomed at a place she should call her home."

It was Suki's answer and the honesty in her eyes, which let Azula's jaw drop. She stared in disbelief at the captain, who placed her hand on the firebender's shoulder.

"You gave me an excuse Azula, but you wasn't the reason. This whole situation was the reason, as it was the reason, why I got together with TyLee. She was there for me as my jealousness got worse, she tried to patch up my relationship with Sokka, but in the end, it has only woken up my feelings for her. She was there when Sokka was not and it wasn't his fault, but this didn't change the fact."

The acrobat blushed and placed her hand on Azula's other shoulder.

"I know, that you tried to do the same for Sokka as you stopped spending time with him. And Suki knows it too. You tried to save their relationship."

Azula felt a hot prickle behind her eyes and no matter how hard she tried to fight the tears, she recognized her sight getting milky.

"But now he's gone. The only one, who has allowed me to be myself is gone."

Suddenly, TyLee placed a little box in her lap. Azula shared a confused look with the acrobat and the box, but the uplifting smile of the warrior stopped her tears.

"He couldn't stay in the Palace anymore. He had lost his girlfriend and he had lost your company. It was too hurtful for him to see Suki with me and you isolating yourself because of it. He needed distance, but we talked with him some days ago and I think he's made a decision."

Azula switched looks between Suki and TyLee and both smiled at the Princess. The captain pointed at the box.

"He sent us the box with a message to deliver it to you. A wagon is waiting outside too."

TyLee stood up and reached out her hands to Azula.

"I think he has prepared something for you Azula. He wants to talk with you."

Azula opened the box and found a message in it:

_A gift so small and yet so big_

_needs to be build up brick by brick._

_It fits into a tiny box_

_can open up the hardest locks._

Azula rolled her eyes at the message, but a smile was around her lips, when she closed the case again. Minutes later she was inside the wagon with TyLee and Suki and she felt her nervousness rising, as the wagon rumbled through the streets of Caldera City. They had reached an old part of the city, as the vehicle finally stopped and Azula's heart skipped a beat, as she noticed a known figure standing before a gate of an old villa. Sokka turned around and she could see him smiling at her, which let her cheeks taking a red hue. It wasn't his stupid grin, but a warm and happy smile. She felt clumsy and wobbly as she stepped out of the wagon, followed by an giggling TyLee and nervous Suki.

Azula had almost reached Sokka as he closed the last steps between them to hug her tight, which created a hot tickle in her stomach.

"Hello Azula. I'm so happy, that you've come here."

Azula snorted a bit, but a smile was around her lips, when she got released out of the hug.

"I was curious why you have chosen a stupid riddle to bring me here. By the way, why are we here?"

She noticed Sokka blushing, beside the fat, that he tried to hide it behind a nervous laughter. His hand slipped into his pocket and he took out a golden key. He handed Azula the object, who stared at it in confusion.

"Well you know… Azula… the riddle…"

His nervousness was infective and Azula felt her heart beating faster and faster. Suddenly Sokka took her hands with the key in it.

"Azula I know you don't feel home at the Palace. I think you've never felt home, when I think about all the stories Zuko has told me about your childhood and I couldn't take it. I had always a home and it breaks my heart that you still haven't one for yourself, so..."

He pointed at the old villa. It was a magnificent estate, but needed renovations. Ozai's fall had chopped down some old families and even some years after the end of the war, there were still empty houses in Caldera City. Azula's jaw dropped. She stared at Sokka in total disbelief.

"So you bought me a house to have a place for my own?"

Sokka's face was getting crimson red and Azula frowned as he started to shake his head.

"No Azula. A house is just a building, but a home is a place where you find people who love and accept you the way you are. A place where you can be weak without being mocked or judged for. This is my new ambassador's residence."

Azula felt her knees getting soft and she faintly recognized TyLee's aiding grip as Sokka continued.

"I still need some distance from Suki to get over everything and Zuko is a great buddy, but he's no help in this case somehow."

His blue eyes locked with Azula's golden ones.

"But I couldn't take the distance from you, Azula. I miss you. Your jokes, your teasing, our talks, simply everything. So the gift is a key for my new home."

His eyes had this shining fire. Azula recognized her heavy breathing and her voice was trembling, as she answered.

"But this is only a building, you said a home needs persons who..."

Her words died in her throat as she saw him nodding.

"That's why I hope, that you accept it. The Palace was a home for me as long as you was with me, Azula and this home was gone as you stopped spending time with me. So will you make this residence a new home for me, Azula? It's big enough, so you could have your private rooms and office here and you could also take your personal staff and servants with you, I have taken care that this estate provides enough space to maintain royal standards."

Azula stared with open mouth at Sokka and the man got more and more nervous with every further second.

"Look I know it might sound totally ridiculous, but I care for you Azula. I know you don't feel home in the Palace, but I had the feeling, that I have eased this situation a bit and this has made me so happy. I cannot stay in Palace but I also cannot let you down, so I thought if you would move in here too, we both could..."

His eyes shot wide as Azula jumped forward to smash her lips on Sokka's mouth. His tension faded moments later as he melted into the kiss as well and he ran his fingers through her dark hair as he deepened it further. Both were panting heavy as their lips finally separated and he pressed his forehead against Azula's. The Princess smiled at him. He brushed one of her bangles out of her face and stroke her cheek with his thumb.

"I know it'll not be the same like at the Palace, but..."

Azula placed a finger on his lips and she had tears in her eyes.

"Of cause. It'll be a home, Sokka. Our home."

Her heart made somersaults at the pure joy in the man's face. Sokka had tears in his eyes as well as he kissed her again.

"Yes Azula. Our home."

Azula's hand was still shaking as she unlocked the gates of the residence, but the firm grip of Sokka's arm around her waist was all she needed. She didn't focused on his explanations for TyLee and Suki as he showed them the areal. All she could focus on was his strong arm and the little kisses he placed on her cheek, when he reached a new room of the house. Azula knew, that she would always be at home, when she would be at Sokka's side. No matter where she was.


End file.
